She sang in public for the first time in a radio contest at the age of ten. She didn't win that year, but won the next year. Her early singing caught the attention of a movie producer who introduced her to the cinema audiences as "Ana Belen" in the movie "Zampo y Yo" when she was thirteen.
Ana didn't want to become a child-star and focused on her studying. It wasn't until she finished drama school that she went back performing in public, being theater her prefered way to do so. She did small incursions in movies till she was offered major parts.
In 1973 she was cast opposite Víctor Manuel in Morbo and he became her husband as well as the composer of the songs included in her first album. In 1982 she released "Ana en Rio", an album with Brazilian music that included the song "Balance" and became an instant hit.
In 1986, took one more step and became one of the first female movie directors in Spain with the movie "Cómo ser mujer y no morir en el intento" which earned her the Gold Medal of Spanish Cinematographic Academy. That year concluded with another major success, a tour with Victor Manuel and many special guests of which they released a live album: "Mucho mas que dos". The success of this tour lead to a new one, "El Gusto es Nuestro" with Miguel Rios, Joan Manuel Serrat y Victor Manuel.
She releases several albums through the 90's that achieve great success like "Veneno para el Corazon" that included Spanish versions of Cole Porter songs among others, "Mirame" full of duets with the most important Spanish voices or "Lorquiana", a double CD with popular songs and poems of Federico García Lorca.
The new century finds her busy with filming and recording songs. Albums "Peces de Ciudad" or "Viva L'Italia" are released as she appears on stage plays and her name is on some of the most acclaimed films of the moment.
In 2006, she is currently touring with her husband Víctor Manuel across Spain with "Una Cancion me Trajo Aqui", a CD+DVD has been released of their very first performance in Segovia.She also has a new album in the works and a new movie pending.
Tengo
Ana Belén Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yo, Juan sin Nada no más ayer,
Y hoy Juan con Todo,
Y hoy con todo,
Vuelvo los ojos, miro,
Me veo y toco
Y me pregunto cómo ha podido ser.
Tengo el gusto de andar por mí país,
Dueño de cuanto hay en él,
Mirando bien cerca lo que antes
No tuve ni podía tener.
Zafra puedo decir,
Monte puedo decir,
Ciudad puedo decir,
Ejército decir,
Ya míos para siempre y tuyos, nuestros,
Y un ancho resplandor
De rayo, estrella, flor.
Tengo, vamos a ver,
Tengo el gusto de ir
Yo, campesino, obrero, gente simple,
Tengo el gusto de ir
Es un ejemplo
A un banco y hablar con el administrador,
No en inglés,
No en señor,
Sino decirle compañero como se dice en español.
Tengo, vamos a ver,
Que siendo un negro
Nadie me puede detener,
A la puerta de un dancing o de un bar.
O bien en la carpeta de un hotel
Gritarme que no hay pieza,
Una mínima pieza y no una pieza colosal,
Una pequeña pieza donde yo pueda descansar.
Tengo, vamos a ver,
Que no hay guardia rural
Que me agarre y me encierre en un cuartel,
Ni me arranque y me arroje de mi tierra
Al medio del camino real.
Tengo que como tengo la tierra tengo el mar,
No country,
No jailáif,
No tenis y no yatch,
Sino de playa en playa y de ola en ola,
Gigante azul abierto democrático:
En fin, el mar.
Tengo, vamos a ver,
Que ya aprendí a leer,
A contar,
Tengo que ya aprendí a escribir
Y a pensar y a reír.
Tengo que ya tengo
Donde trabajar y ganar
Lo que me tengo que comer.
Tengo, vamos a ver,
Tengo lo que tenía que tener.
The lyrics of "Tengo" by Ana Belén speak to the incredible transformation that the singer has undergone, from a person who seemingly had nothing to someone who now has everything. They describe how the singer looks at themselves and wonders how they could have gone from being Juan Sin Nada ("John with nothing") to Juan Con Todo ("John with everything"), and they turn their attention to the many things they now possess, including their country, with all its natural resources, and the ability to travel and speak confidently even to those in positions of power.
The song emphasizes the idea of progress and personal development, as the singer reveals how they have learned to read, write, and think, along with the practical skills needed to work and earn a living. The refrain "tengo, vamos a ver" ("I have, let's see") draws attention to the fact that while the singer may have achieved many things, they are aware that their situation is not necessarily secure, and they must remain aware of potential obstacles that might impede their progress. Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of gratitude for what the singer has achieved and a commitment to continue striving for more.
Line by Line Meaning
Cuando me veo y toco
When I look at myself and touch
Yo, Juan sin Nada no más ayer,
Me, Juan with nothing just yesterday,
Y hoy Juan con Todo,
And today Juan with everything,
Y hoy con todo,
And today with everything,
Vuelvo los ojos, miro,
I turn my eyes, look,
Me veo y toco
I see myself and touch
Y me pregunto cómo ha podido ser.
And I wonder how it could have been.
Tengo, vamos a ver,
I have, let's see,
Tengo el gusto de andar por mí país,
I have the pleasure of walking through my country,
Dueño de cuanto hay en él,
Owner of everything in it,
Mirando bien cerca lo que antes
Looking closely at what before
No tuve ni podía tener.
I didn't have or couldn't have.
Zafra puedo decir,
I can say harvest,
Monte puedo decir,
I can say mountain,
Ciudad puedo decir,
I can say city,
Ejército decir,
I can say army,
Ya míos para siempre y tuyos, nuestros,
Already mine forever and yours, ours,
Y un ancho resplandor
And a wide glare
De rayo, estrella, flor.
Of lightning, star, flower.
Tengo, vamos a ver,
I have, let's see,
Tengo el gusto de ir
I have the pleasure of going
Yo, campesino, obrero, gente simple,
Me, peasant, worker, simple people,
Tengo el gusto de ir
I have the pleasure of going
Es un ejemplo
It's an example
A un banco y hablar con el administrador,
To a bank and talk to the manager,
No en inglés,
Not in English,
No en señor,
Not in sir,
Sino decirle compañero como se dice en español.
But say to him, companion, as it's said in Spanish.
Tengo, vamos a ver,
I have, let's see,
Que siendo un negro
That being a black man
Nadie me puede detener,
No one can stop me,
A la puerta de un dancing o de un bar.
At the door of a dance hall or a bar.
O bien en la carpeta de un hotel
Or even in a hotel room
Gritarme que no hay pieza,
Yell at me that there's no room,
Una mínima pieza y no una pieza colosal,
A small room and not a colossal one,
Una pequeña pieza donde yo pueda descansar.
A small room where I can rest.
Tengo, vamos a ver,
I have, let's see,
Que no hay guardia rural
That there's no rural police
Que me agarre y me encierre en un cuartel,
To catch me and lock me up in a barracks,
Ni me arranque y me arroje de mi tierra
Or uproot me and throw me out of my land
Al medio del camino real.
Into the middle of the royal road.
Tengo que como tengo la tierra tengo el mar,
I have that as I have the land, I have the sea,
No country,
No country,
No jailáif,
No high society,
No tenis y no yatch,
No tennis and no yacht,
Sino de playa en playa y de ola en ola,
But from beach to beach and from wave to wave,
Gigante azul abierto democrático:
Giant blue open democratic:
En fin, el mar.
In the end, the sea.
Tengo, vamos a ver,
I have, let's see,
Que ya aprendí a leer,
That I already learned to read,
A contar,
To count,
Tengo que ya aprendí a escribir
I have that I already learned to write
Y a pensar y a reír.
And to think and to laugh.
Tengo que ya tengo
I have that I already have
Donde trabajar y ganar
Where to work and earn
Lo que me tengo que comer.
What I need to eat.
Tengo, vamos a ver,
I have, let's see,
Tengo lo que tenía que tener.
I have what I had to have.
Contributed by Charlotte L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
lourise chalhub
que voz tan hermosa